Anchor chain scrubber



March 13, 1934. wms E 1,950,959

ANCHOR CHAIN SGRUBBER Filed March 1, 1933 INVENTOR- #M ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE '7 Claims.

The present invention relates to boat accessories and comprises an anchor chain scrubber or cleanser.

Anchor chains, in the majority of cases, he on the bottom in mud, silt, and other muck which collects at the bottom of shallow water. When the anchor is raised and the chain brought in, the silt and mud are picked up by the chain which soils the sides, the deck and the chain lockers. This is undesirable in all types of vessels or wa ter craft.

The present invention facilitates the cleaning of the anchor chain or other contaminated lines which may collect deleterious material that should not be brought on board the vessel.

The present invention contemplates a device whereby anchor chain or other line is scrubbed and cleaned as the chain is being raised into the boat. The mere movement of the chain through a fixed scrubbing arrangement is not as satisfactory as a construction whereby a scrubbing motion longitudinally of the chain is provided while the chain is being raised. To this end, the present invention comprises scrubbing members adapted to encircle the chain to reach all sides thereof, and which scrubbing members may be raised and lowered to produce the desired scrubbing motion. This movement may be accomplished manually or by the use of power.

In the preferred form, the present invention comprises a scrubbing member or members mounted upon a suitable support capable of being raised and lowered in the direction of the movement of the chain, while the chain is being drawn in. More specifically, the preferred form of the invention comprises a rigid bar, or support, carrying a scrubbing member or members into which the chain or line may be fitted, with a weight normally tending to carry the device downward and with a line or other attachment secured to the upper end of the bar whereby the bar may be raised and lowered when the device is fitted over the anchor chain, thus thoroughly cleansing the anchor chain or the like.

It is recognized that the present invention may be embodied in constructions other than those specifically disclosed herewith and the present disclosure is to be understood as illustrative and not in the limiting sense.

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the preferred form of the invention.

Figure 2 is a View illustrating the operation of the device.

Referring now to the drawing, the preferred form of the device comprises a bar, support or rod 1, provided at the upper end with a ring 2 or other suitable means, facilitating the attachment of a supporting line, lanyard or chain 4. The rod 1 carries a bracket 5 upon which a circular shaped frame 6 is mounted. This frame 6 carries a scrubbing member 7 which comprises a back 8 set with stiff straws, metal spines or other suitable scrubbing material. Back 8 is detachably secured to frame 6 by means of bolts, screws, or other suitable means 9. The frame 6 and scrub bing member '7 are open as at 10 to provide a space through which the anchor chain may reach the interior of the scrubbing member 7. Preferably, a plurality of such scrubbing members are provided, and to this end, the rod 1 may carry a second bracket 11 upon which a frame 12 is mounted. The frame 12 carries a scrubbing member 14 which comprises a back 15 set with stiff straws, metal spines or other suitable scrubbing material. Back 15 is detachably secured to frame 12 by means of bolts, screws, or other suitable means 16. The frame 12 and scrubbing member 14 are open as at 17 to provide a space through which the anchor chain may reach the interior of the scrubbing member 14. The opening 17 of the frame 12 is positioned relatively to the opening 10 of the frame 6 so that the two openings 17 and 10 are rotatively displaced one from the other in order that the device may hang securely on the anchor chain and further in order that all sides of the chain may receive the scrubbing required to remove the deleterious material adhering to the chain. The lower end of rod 1 carries a weight 18 or is so shaped as to form a weight 18 which weight acts as the sinking member of the device and which further acts as a counterweight. The weight 18 not only facilitates the reciprocating movement of the device but also acts as a counterweight (see Fig. 2) whereby the scrubber 12 is forced against one side of the chain 4, and the weight 18 acting on the member 12 as a fulcrum forces the scrubber 6 against the other side of the chain, thus effectually scrubbing all portions thereof that pass through the device.

In operation, the device is attached to the anchor chain 19 and is lowered over the side of the boat or vessel 20 by the line 4 into the water 21. The device may be given a reciprocative or up and down motion as shown by the arrow X. This motion may be imparted to the device through the supporting line 4 while the anchor line 19 is being raised. The device also may be left hanging on the cable supported by the line 4 and preferably is given a reciprocative motion to effectually scrub the chain as it is being drawn abroad the vessel of all deleterious material which may adhere to the chain due to its having passed through or lain in or on the mud or slime which is usually on'the bottom of the waters in which the boat 20 has been anchored.

The device comprising the present invention is simple and sturdy in construction and is operable to scrub the chain outboard of the vessel, so that a clean chain or line comes on board even though it may have been resting in dirty water and picked up slime, mud, or other material which it is very desirable to keep off the deck and sides of the vessel. The term cable used in the claims is intended to designate an anchor chain or other line with which the present invention is intended to cooperate.

What I claim is:--

1. An anchor cable scrubber comprising a scrubbing member constructed to partially encircle said cable whereby said scrubbing member is held in eng geinent with the cable during the lowering said scrubber dow into the water through which said cable extends, said scrubbing member having an opening in one side thereof to facilitate the introduction of the cable into said scrubbing member, means i ireeiy support said scrubbing member in be water in engagement with cable so that said ubbing member may be given a reciprocari movement relative to said cable to scrub the e in the Water.

2. An anchor cable scrubber comprising a scrubbing member constructed to. substantially encircle said cable, said scrubbing member being provided with an opening through which the cable may be introduced into said scrubbing member, a rigid support for said scrubbing member and with the scrubbing member extending from one side thereof, a weight attached to said support and adapted to completely submerge said scrubbing member into the water through which the cable extends, and means to freely suspend the rigid support so that said scrubbing member may be given a reciprocating movement relative to said cable and the water through which the cable extends to scrub the same.

3. An anchor cable scrubber comprising supporting means, a plurality of scrubbing members carried by said supporting means, said scrubbing iembers being constructed to substantially encircle said cable, openings being provided in the side walls of said scrubbing members to facilitate engagement of said cable with said scrubbing members, said openings being rotatively displaced relative to each other in order to facilitate the guiding of the scrubber in the water relative to the cable, a weight attached to said support, and means to freely suspend said support to permit reciprocating movement to be imparted to said scrubber to scrub said cable.

t. An anchor cable scrubber comprising a supporting bar, a scrubbing member rigidly attached to said supporting bar and extending from one side thereof, said scrubbing member being constructed to partially encircle said cable and to form a guide to maintain said scrubbing device in contact with said cable during relative movements between the cable and the scrubbing member, said scrubbing member being provided in the side wall thereof with an opening to facilitate the entrance of the cable into said scrubbing member, and a weight upon said support to cause said scrubber to slide down the cable when the scrubber is lowered into the water.

5. An anchor cable scrubber comprising a supporting bar, and a plurality of scrubbing members carried by said bar, said scrubbing members comprising curved scrubbing means adapted to partially encircle said cable to be scrubbed to guide said scrubber over said cable and provided with openings to facilitate the entry of the cable into said scrubbing members.

6. An anchor cable scrubber comprising a manually operable bar adapted to support a scrubbing member, a scrubbing member mounted upon said manually operable bar, said scrubbing member comprising a substantially circular rigid frame having an opening in one side thereof to admit the entrance of the cable within said member, removable scrubbing means mounted within said frame, and means to detachably secure said scrubbing means within said frame.

'7. An article of manufacture comprising a rigid supporting bar, a pair of scrubbing members extending to one sideof said bar, said scrubbing members being substantially circular in form with the scrubbing elements extending inwardly, said scrubbing members having an opening on one side thereof to facilitate the introduction of a cable into said scrubbing members, and a Weight attached to said bar to sink said scrubbing members into the water through which said cable extends.

HUNTER A. WINSETTE. 

